Introduction to Food System Transformation for Sustainable Development

Our food systems are broken. They not only fail to end the ‘triple burden’ of malnutrition, i.e., micronutrient deficiencies, undernutrition, and overweight or obesity, but also exhibit substantial environmental impacts. One-third of the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions come from food systems. Most importantly, food systems are a major driver of the Earth system exceeding planetary boundaries, for example, biosphere integrity and biogeochemical flows. Therefore, a broken food system is an obstacle to achieving numerous Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, response options are available for the sustainable transformation of food systems at various stages, from pre-production to post-consumption. Transforming food systems towards more sustainable forms is crucial to convert the negative linkages of food systems with SDGs into positive ones. In this context, this companion explores, examines, and demonstrates how the transformation of food systems will contribute to sustainable development.